Pamir Highway: Everything you need to know

By Joan Torres 21 Comments Last updated on May 16, 2023

What was once an important ”Silk Road” route, along which Marco Polo, as well as tens of civilizations and empires, traveled, today, has today become one of the most epic road trips on Earth, as the Pamir Highway or M-41, as it was called during Soviet times, goes through one of the most impressive, remote and wild mountain ranges in the world.

From Osh to Dushanbe, over a period of over 3 weeks, we decided to hitchhike 1,250km of landscape, geographical and cultural contrasts.

From wandering around the beautiful Alay Valley to the 300km of road bordering Afghanistan where you can see Afghan villages, climbing 4,600-meter-high mountain passes and attending some nomad games where horses and violence are the main protagonists.

The Pamir Road has everything, both good and bad, as this road is also the main channel for heroin coming into Europe from Afghanistan, the largest opium and heroin producer in the world.

When driving the Pamir Highway, adventure is more than guaranteed.

Things you need to know before traveling the Pamir Highway (M-41)

Best time to visit the Pamir Highway

The road is open all year long but, from the end of September till the beginning of June, the cold takes over the Pamir plateau.

I was there in August and I remember that, in a town called Alichur, the morning temperature was -6ºC. This village, in particular, had registered the lowest temperature in the country, around -60ºC. Traveling here in winter may be pretty tough.

You had better come from June to September, especially if you want to go hiking.

How many days are needed to complete the Pamir Highway

It depends on what you want to explore.

If you just want to drive along the road and stop in the most typical places, people tend to finish it in 5 or 7 days.

However, if you want to go around the side valleys, you will need more time.

Add a few extra days for each side trip you take. I spent almost 2 weeks there.

Where does the Pamir road begin and finish?

The beginning and end of the Pamir Highway is such a controversial topic. If you look north, it definitely begins in Kyrgyzstan, in a southern city called Osh.

However, some sources claim that it ends in Afghanistan, while others say that it is in Termez (Uzbekistan), Dushanbe (capital of Tajikistan) and Khorog (also Tajikistan).

And what about the tourist route?

For most travelers, the journey begins in Osh (Kyrgyzstan) and ends in Khorog (Tajikistan), a small town that is the gateway to an autonomous region named GBAO.

After Khorog, people also continue to Dushanbe. You are going to spend 85% of your journey in Tajikistan.

Visa and GBAO permit

For Kyrgyzstan, most nationalities get a 2-month free visa on arrival at the airport. If you are not one of the lucky countries, read this article from Caravanistan.

On the other hand, for Tajikistan, most countries need to apply for a visa in advance. Besides, the road goes through GBAO, a region which requires an additional permit.

Here you can find everything related to the visa process: How to get a Tajikistan visa.

Electricity

After Khorog, in the Tajik part, the region has been without electricity for years, so they use solar panels. Some guesthouses (only a few), have solar plugs where you may charge some of your devices.

What I recommend is that, if you have a DSLR, bring it fully charged and a spare battery. I was able to charge my phone only once, thanks to a kind man I met who had a generator in his house.

Internet

In Kyrgyzstan, the internet works pretty well, both Wi-Fi and 3G. However, in Tajikistan, you will barely be able to send WhatsApps, so forget about the internet until you reach Khorog.

Food

Pamir villages are so remote that they barely receive food and other supplies, besides all the basic stuff, of course. If you aren’t planning to go trekking and you just want to go village-hopping, there’s no problem, as in all homestays and guesthouses, meals are included.

However, if you want to go to the mountains, I suggest you get supplies at the supermarkets in Osh and Khorog

Altitude

After the Karakoram Highway (China and Pakistan) and Khardung La (India), the road that goes through the Pamir plateau is considered the highest in the world, going over 4,600 meters at Ak-Baktal pass.

I felt absolutely nothing, basically because I had spent 4 months trekking in Kyrgyzstan and traveling in Pakistan, but I met people who had just arrived in Central Asia and they got altitude sickness.

Take all the necessary precautions, like drinking lots of liquid and have Diamox with you.

Safety in the Pamir Highway

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The Pamir Highway is very safe. People are lovely and crime is unheard of.

Therefore, the only danger you may encounter is anything related to trekking, mountains, and adventure in general. Remember that you will be at a very high altitude and the health care in the area is quite rudimentary.

The people in the Pamir Mountains

One of the most fascinating things about Central Asia is its large mix of people and ethnic diversity as, for centuries, an endless number of civilizations and empires have been wandering and trading along these roads, popularly known as the Silk Road.

Surprisingly, in the eastern part of Tajikistan, most people are not Tajik but Kyrgyz, an ethnic group with strong Mongolian features, whereas Tajiks are closer to Iranians and Afghans.

The Pamir mountains are, physically, closer to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

However, its inhabitants are closer to Mongolia, a country that is thousands of miles away! Fascinating.

Pamir Highway route – The ultimate travel itinerary through the M-41

From Osh to Khorog and getting finally to Dushanbe, the M-41 is home to such a vast quantity of beauty and hidden places that it would one whole lifetime to explore all of them.

The following itinerary is the one I did personally.

It took us around 2 weeks to complete but, to be very honest, we traveled on a slow path and did a couple of side trekking trips.

Pamir Highway map

Click on the image below to see the interactive map

1. Osh – The second most important city in Kyrgyzstan

Located in the south of Kyrgyzstan, in a very strategic position for anyone who is overlanding to China, Uzbekistan or Tajikistan, it’s not surprising at all that Osh has become a mere transit point for a lot of travelers, which means that its timid beauty is often overlooked by most of them.

However, it’s precisely due to its location that Osh is home to an awesome cultural blend, both ethnic and culinary.

Things to do in Osh

Osh can keep you busy for several days and one of my favorite travel blogs called Uncornered Market has simplified it very well in this interesting article: Travel Guide to Osh.

Read: Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan, the ultimate travel itinerary

2. Sary Tash – More than a border town

Distance: 184km from Osh

Located in the middle of the Alay Valley, with stunning views of the Pamir range, Sary Tash is not a typical,  unattractive border town but totally the contrary, as it is positioned in such a privileged location, that it has become an awesome base to organize treks and other trips.

Moreover, even though the village is rather small, it has a couple of homestays, a few restaurants and a gas station, which makes it a great place to rest on your way to Tajikistan.

Things to do in Sary Tash

Alay Valley- Located at 3,200 meters, this dreamy valley limits the border with Tajikistan and the Pamir range. One of the most beautiful spots in the country.

Sary Mogol – 15 kilometers from Sary Tash, Sary Mogol is a dusty but quite photogenic village. This is the gate to the Lenin Peak base camp.

Tulpar Lake – A couple of kilometers before Lenin Peak base camp, you find Tulpar Lake, a beautiful lake surrounded by velvet-green rolling hills, from where you have fantastic views of the Lenin Peak.

The lake has a yurt camp and doesn’t require any permit, unlike the Lenin Peak base camp, which actually does require a permit.

Lenin Peak – Standing 7,100 meters above sea level, Lenin Peak is the second highest mountain in the Pamir range. We trekked to the advanced base camp and it was our best trekking experience in Kyrgyzstan.

Theoretically, visiting the base camp requires a special permit but we didn’t have it and, obviously, no one asked for it.

Read: Trekking in Kyrgyzstan, a beginner’s guide

3. Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan border crossing at Kyzyl Art Pass

Distance: 45km from Sary Tash

At 4,200 meters, Kyzyl Art Pass is the second highest border crossing in the world, after Khunjerab Pass, the border between China and Pakistan.

The landscape is freaking awesome and, regarding bureaucracy, it’s a hassle-free border to cross.

For further information, read: How to cross from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan.

4. Karakul Lake – The first settlement within Tajikistan

Distance: 50km from the border

A small village composed of a couple of mud-brick houses but located on the shore of Karakul lake, the largest lake in Tajikistan.

Honestly, there’s not much to do in this village, besides wandering around the lake or climbing the side hills to observe the beautiful views.

Here you will also find a military base where you can see the remains of old Soviet Union tanks. Apparently, the village is also a good base for trekking.

We didn’t stay here more than 30 minutes, enough time to rest, walk around and take a couple of pictures.

5. Murghab – The main town in the Pamirs

Distance: 133km from Karakul

Before starting your journey along the Pamir Highway, you will see that all travelers talk about a place called Murghab, which is nothing less than the largest settlement in the Pamir mountains and a transportation hub that even has an airport.

However, when you arrive, what you’ll find is just another set of mud-brick houses with no electricity, a bazaar where shops are inside shipping containers and, in general, a lot of misery.

People from Murghab live mainly from the few tourists who pass by and in our experience, they were the most money-oriented people in both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

However, this small village has a lot of potential, as it’s surrounded by beautiful valleys where authentic nomads live and from where you can organize great treks.

Read: Trekking the Fann Mountains – The 7 Lakes Trek

Things to do in Murghab

At Chabysh festival – In the middle of August, At Chabysh festival takes place, a sort of competition, internationally known as horse games, where participants play polo with a dead goat and do horse racing and wrestling, also on a horse.

At the festival, you will see a few tourists but 90% of the attendants are locals, so this is quite an authentic event. It lasts for 2 days and we were very lucky to arrive on the second day, which was August 13th, so I recommend you plan your trip accordingly.

However, try to find out about the exact dates beforehand as the day of the month may vary every year to make it fit on the weekend.

Murghab town – From a peculiar mosque to the remains of Soviet Union machinery and a very weird bazaar where the different shops are inside shipping containers, we actually enjoyed wandering around Murghab for a day or two.

Pshart valley – For us, this was one of the best experiences we had throughout our journey along the Pamir Highway, as here we finally met a group of nomads who were at all used to tourists, so unlike most yurt camps you find when you are traveling in Kyrgyzstan, here we slept and ate with them and they didn’t even want our money, even though we decided to pay them generously.

The truth is that visiting the Pshart valley is great because the landscape is also gorgeous. The nomad camp is 5 or 6 hours walking from Murghab.

Trekking to Gumbezkul Pass – If you want to get a glimpse of what’s trekking in the Pamirs like, Gumbezkul pass is a 5,200 meters mountain pass from where you can appreciate a significant piece of the Pamir range.

The pass links both Madiyan and Pshart valleys and climbing it is quite a challenge but anyone reasonably fit, with little experience, can do it.

For more information on trekking, read: tips and packing list for trekking in Central Asia

6. Alichur – One of the coldest places on Earth

Distance: 104km from Murghab

From the road, Alichur seems an exceptionally uninteresting town but actually, just entering any of its side valleys, the landscape becomes really impressive.

This is where the lowest temperature in the country ever was registered (-60ºC) and actually, even when we were there in August, it was freaking freezing, around -6ºC at 6am in the morning, apart from a very strong wind, which tripled the cold feeling. Bring warm clothes!

Things to do in Alichur

The village – Like any other Pamirian village, this settlement is composed of just a couple of shacks, so we just killed our time hanging out around the village and taking photos of the local life and the yaks that were wandering freely around the village.

Marco Polo sheep safari – Do you know what the Marco Polo sheep is? They are some cow-size sheep that live in Central Asia. Yes, they are as big as a cow. Google it. The thing is that, in the mountains around Alichur, there are a few hundred specimens and you can go on a safari to spot them.

However, before you go and get disappointed, you should bear in mind that they are extremely shy, so you only can see them from 1km away maximum, which means that you’ll just be able to see two tiny black dots.

For this reason, the guide will always bring a pretty powerful telescope that will help you appreciate their majesty. We were five people and paid $15 per person for a 5-hour safari, starting at 5am in the morning.

Exploring the side valleys – The valleys around Alichur are among the most interesting I saw in Tajikistan and not because of their beauty but they are so imposing and made of wild geology which I had never seen before. You can appreciate them within walking distance from Alichur.

Yak trekking – Kyrgyzstan may be famous for horse trekking but Tajikistan is popular for climbing mountains on a yak. Because we were on a low budget, we decided not to do it but you can ask for prices at the homestay.

Trekking to the lakes – Personally, I didn’t do this trek but, from Alichur, a lot of travelers do a 2-3-day trek to a set of lakes in which you can find Bulunkul lake.

The way to follow is on the Maps.me app, so you can’t miss it.

Nevertheless, as I said before, bring a good tent and sleeping bag as the wind and temperatures are freezing.

For more information, check my packing list for trekking in Central Asia.

7. The Wakhan Valley

You should know that the Wakhan Valley is not part of the Pamir Highway. In fact, around 20km before Bulunkul (coming from Kyrgyzstan), you have to turn left and drive for several kilometers before reaching the actual valley. Here, I will give you a small summary but, for the full guide, check my ultimate guide to the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan.

The Wakhan Valley is the place with the largest cultural heritage in eastern Tajikistan. It used to be the border between north and south Asia and, in the 20th century, the border between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan.

During all your journey through the Wakhan, you will go along a river whose other side is Afghanistan and, on many sections, you are only separated by a couple of meters and you can actually say hello to the Afghans from the other side.

These are the places where we stopped at:

Langar – The first big settlement you find is Langar but I recommend you continue for a few kilometers to Hisor, a more genuine village and with nicer views to actual Afghanistan.

Vrang – An old village that has an ancient Buddhist temple. It is worth to stop for a few hours.

Yamchun – The most stunning fortress in the valley. 

Kaakha Fortress – The second most famous fortress after Yamchun has also great views to Afghanistan.

Ishkashim – The main town in the Wakhan Valley. It used to hold the Afghan market in no man’s land but it is temporarily closed. It is also the border to Afghanistan for those interested in doing the Afghan Wakhan corridor.

For more information, don’t forget to check my guide to the Wakhan Valley

8. Khorog – Welcome to civilization

Distance: 211km from Alichur

If you come from eastern Tajikistan, arriving in Khorog is sort of a cultural shock, as here you can finally get electricity, internet, supermarkets where you can buy actual cheese and a few good restaurants. Khorog is a great place to enjoy for a couple of days.

Things to do in Khorog

Saturday Afghan market – Khorog is located right on the border with Afghanistan, so every Saturday, Afghans are allowed to cross to attend a market where they can sell their typical products, as well as buying Tajik stuff, like vodka and fabrics.

The market takes place in a military area, which means that there’s a lot of security and Afghans can’t enter Tajikistan proper. They have so much fun in this market as, unlike in highly restricted Afghanistan, here they can get drunk and even flirt with the local women.

And indeed they do! At the end of the day, you may see a few Afghans completely smashed. Actually, if I was an Afghan, I would also, definitely, come to this market every Saturday.

Khorog City Park – Khorog has a pleasant park where you will find one of the best local restaurants in town (Choi Khona), by the river. There’s also the information center, where you can connect to the internet, order an espresso and, of course, get all the tourist information you need.

Route between Alichur y Khorog

Distance: 211km from Alichur to Khorog

Travelers don’t tend to follow this route as most people will make the turn of the Wakhan Valley. However, the road between Alichur and Khorog is the actual continuation of the M-41.

We did it because, before going to the Wakhan Valley, we went to Khorog to rest for a few days and then went back. We had plenty of time, that’s why.

We completed this route in only one day, in 10 hours.

Since we did it hitchhiking, we stopped in different villages where we ate and met real Tajiks for the first time, since, unlike in the eastern Pamirs, people living here are Tajiks.

Except for the first few kilometers, where you see Lake Bulunkul, among other lakes, the rest of the way is not as impressive as what you’ve been seeing for the last days, so I would recommend going straight to Khorog.

However, I would also recommend spending one night in Bulunkul, located 15km from the M-41, and where you can find a few homestays

Remember to read my Guide to the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan

9. The way to the capital Dushanbe

Distance: 520km from Khorog

Khorog and Dushanbe are separated by 520km of road, 300km of which go along the Panj river, a 20-meter wide river, whose other side is Afghanistan territory.

That’s the most incredibly interesting thing about this part of the journey.

For miles, you will pass by countless Afghan villages, where you will see men riding their donkeys, working in the field and even women doing the laundry in the river.

You are so close to them that you could actually talk to them. In fact, I was continuously yelling and waving at them and they always waved back at me! It was amazing.

In some sections, you will see that you could even cross the river if you wanted, without any problem. Actually, that’s the main smuggling point from Afghanistan to Tajikistan. Most heroin in Europe has crossed this part of the river.

Read: How to get a visa for Iran

A guide to hitchhiking the Pamir Highway

Along your journey, you may meet several people saying:

”I met some backpackers who had been waiting for a ride for days”

Seriously, I don’t know where the f*** they were but, if they were traveling the Pamir Highway, it can’t be possible.

We never had to wait for more than 2 hours.

What is actually true is that hitchhiking for FREE may be a bit tricky as, in this part of the world, even the locals pay, so you and your backpack may have to wait for a long time.

You need to bear in mind that here, everybody is a taxi driver and whoever travels from one village to another, with an empty seat is losing money.

Hitchhiking for free is also possible but you will need an extra dose of patience, as your best bet will be trucks or generous locals, which are rare.

In our experience, European tourists never picked us up, even if they had empty seats. Bastards!

Honestly, most of the time, I paid for my rides, as the price from Murghab to Alichur, for example, was just a few dollars, so I preferred paying to wait.

By the way, many locals will tell you ridiculously high amounts which you should, politely, refuse.

Hitchhiking the Pamir Road –  Section by section

From Osh to Sary Tash – Very easy. Cars pass quite often, so you can easily find a ride for free.

From Sary Tash to Karakul – Difficult.Local cars tend to be full, so your best option would be to get on a Chinese truck or, if you are extremely lucky, in a tourist car. You will need to be very patient but it’s definitely possible. Try to stand on the road as early as possible.

From Karakul to Murghab – Difficult. Most cars also will be full but, in the morning, you may find a local going to Murghab. Be patient. Local price should be 30TJS ($3.40).

From Murghab to Alichur – Very easy. We waited for less than one hour, starting at 10am in the morning. We took a ride for just 40TJS ($4.50) and I am sure that, if we waited longer, we would have got a better deal.

From Alichur to Khorog – Relatively easy. We waited for two hours and we did the whole journey in 10h, approximately, taking 3 different rides. In total, we paid around $7 – $8.

From Khorog to Dushanbe – Very easy and crazy. It took us more than 3 days, 2 of which were spent inside a truck. Yes, 48 hours squeezed in a truck which was carrying 80 tons. The driver didn’t accept any money but, when he said that it would take 30 additional hours to arrive in Dushanbe, we decided to take a local shared taxi in Qalai Qumb, which cost us 120TJS ($13).

Driving the Pamir Highway – Transportation

Traveling the Pamir Highway by bicycle

The Pamir Highway is the Mecca (Saudi Arabia) for cyclists.

I had never seen so many people traveling by bicycle as here but actually, the truth is that its beauty and challenging conditions make it the perfect place for this way of travel.

I don’t travel by bicycle, but the cyclists I met said that water and food were scarce, as distances between villages were huge. Just bring enough supplies and a good sleeping mat, as the ground where one camp is hard as hell.

Traveling the Pamir Highway by public transportation

There’s no actual public transport, except from Osh to Sary Tash, but what you find is local shared taxis.

If you are on a budget, this option is totally feasible but, unfortunately, there are very few routes, which means that they run to very specific places only.

If you want to go to any place which in between or outside the below itineraries, you will have to hitchhike.

From Osh to Sary Tash – There are daily marshrutkas until 2pm from the station located here: 40.536484, 72.798298. Price: 350SOM ($4).

From Osh to Murghab – The shared local taxis to Tajikistan don’t run regularly and timings vary and change every day, as it depends on how many people want to cross the border on that day.

Furthermore, there is no ”taxi station” for Tajikistan, which means that you’ll need a local contact. Luckily, there are several people who can arrange it for you.

First of all, I recommend you contact Ibrahim, a taxi driver from Murghab who does this journey a few times a week. He is the only man who charges the local price to tourists, which is 2,000KGS ($30).

He speaks English, so call him at 0778790365 and ask him when is he planning to cross. Additionally, if you can’t go with him, Osh Guest House can also organize a shared taxi for you.

However, they will charge you 2,500KGS ($37), meaning that they get a 500KGS commission. If you are in Sary-Tash or Sary-Mogol, CBT Sary-Mogol can arrange it but they will also charge 2,500KGS, although they can tell the driver to pick you up in Sary-Tash, instead of Osh, no problem.

From Murghab to Khorog –  Local shared taxis leave every day from Murghab station. Try to be there early in the morning, as they leave when they are full. Honestly, I don’t really remember the price but it was not expensive.

From Khorog to Dushanbe – Cars going to Dushanbe take between 14 and 18 hours, as it’s a 500km road in a very bad condition. For this reason, a seat is quite pricey ($35).

There are 1 or 2 a day and they are always extremely full, so try to be at the station around 6am.

I am not kidding, we arrived there at 7:15 and there were no seats anymore, so we decided to hitchhike until Dushanbe.

Accommodation: where to stay in the Pamirs

Homestay is the most common type of accommodation, which means that you will stay at local people’s houses, a great way to learn about their culture.

Usually, most houses are pretty cozy, especially in Kyrgyzstan. In Kyrgyzstan, you tend to have a relatively comfortable bed, whereas in Tajikistan, you will get a thin mattress on the floor.

Regarding food, there is no difference between the two countries and you will always get your dose of homemade jam, bread, and shorpo (a local meat broth).

Prices range from $10 to $15, Tajikistan always being more expensive than Kyrgyzstan. Price always includes dinner, breakfast and, rarely, also lunch.

The following list contains all hostels and homestays I stayed throughout my journey plus recommendations from people I met. All are budget options but, honestly, you can’t really find more expensive ones.

Where to stay in Murghab

Pamir Hotel – The only proper hotel in town with electricity (after 6pm), western toilets and shower. It’s the priciest in town but they also have budget dorms.

Sary Kul Lodge (I would not stay here) This guest house is pretty popular and it’s actually more budget than Pamir Hotel. However, it doesn’t have electricity. To be honest, I didn’t have a good experience here as the manager told us a certain price and, the day we checked out, she said that she got it wrong, claiming that she didn’t speak good English. She lied. Moreover, she tried to rip us off with the exchange rate and charge me $10 for the laundry. I am just being honest, you can do stay whatever you want 🙂

In any case, I recommend you stay at one of the many random homestays, not in the popular ones.

Where to stay in Alichur

NGO Purgut Homestay – Don’t get confused by the name. It’s not an NGO but the family running it is super kind and will feed you until you explode. This was one of the very few homestays where lunch was also included. The man of the house can also organize yak treks, as well as the Marco Polo sheep safari.

Where to stay between Alichur and Khorog

We didn’t stay between these two places but I remember that, in many villages where we stopped, locals always asked us if we wanted a place to stay, so you won’t have any problem if you really want to sleep here.

How much does it cost to travel the Pamir Highway?

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As you can imagine, the price will depend fundamentally on your way of transportation. These are the typical prices:

Accommodation – Homestay prices are pretty standard, from $10 to $15, including dinner and breakfast.

Food – Dinner and breakfast are always included but for lunch, a meal in a local restaurant costs between 10TJS – 30TJS ($1.10 -$3.40).

Transportation – It’s difficult the calculate an average. However, since most people travel on the 7-day tour with a private guide, which costs $850 for 4 people, which is $212 per person, I would say that cost would be $30 a day, with everything included.

Therefore, the average price will be, taking into account that you travel with a private driver (If you go by public transport or hitchhiking, the price will be less than half of that. )

a minimum of $50 a day

More information for visiting Pamir Highway

Don’t forget to check our travel guide to Tajikistan.

As well as all our Tajikistan articles:

• Travel Guide to Wakhan Valley
• Fann Mountains Travel Guide

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